


'Cause You Feel Like Home, You're A Dream Come True

by BogAngel



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: (Ish) - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Meet-Cute, Rewrite, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, its fun and cute, the willex feels zone, there are original scenes in here mixed with rewrites of show scenes, there is also angst tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:55:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28846410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BogAngel/pseuds/BogAngel
Summary: "'Alex had never been a big fan of the words that appeared on his skin when he was fifteen years old. Wherever he pulled down the collar of his shirts, one could read the words ‘dude, you dinged my board’ etched into the skin right under his collar bone.'"Or, a rewrite of the Willex centric scenes in the show to be in a universe where your soulmates first words are written on your skin.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 143
Collections: Willex Stories! (JATP)





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place in both 1995 and in episode 3 (Flying Solo)! I'll be putting general episodes of when my chapters are taking place. So look out for that at the beginning of chapters :) 
> 
> I also made a playlist of the songs that inspired me while writing this fanfic. I recommend taking a listen: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/44jLGj772veOTQNjPkKEJA
> 
> Anyways, thank you for clicking on my fic and I really hope you enjoy. Kudos and comments are always appreciated!!

Alex had never been a big fan of the words that appeared on his skin when he was fifteen years old. Wherever he pulled down the collar of his shirts, one could read the words ‘dude, you dinged my board’ etched into the skin right under his collar bone. The delicate, fancy writing of the words didn’t make it any better either. If anything the words had made him feel incredibly anxious.

He told his bandmates as much the day after he had gotten the soulmate tattoo. 

Reggie patted his shoulder in an attempt of reassuring him, “If they’re your soulmate, I don’t think they’ll get mad at you for dinging their board, dude.” 

“But what if they do?” 

“They _won’t_ ,” Luke frowned, crossing his arms, “Listen, even if they did get mad, man, I would say that they don’t deserve you. Soulmate or not. The universe can suck it.” 

Alex never really understood how Luke could be so nonchalant about literal fate but yet again Luke hadn’t gotten a soul mark when he turned fifteen. He claimed that it just let him make his own romantic fate but Alex could see that he was disappointed. Reggie hadn’t gotten one but he seemed less worried about it. After all, his parents were meant to be soulmates and that didn’t seem to really work out for them. Even if it was unlikely for soulmate relationships to end badly, it still made Reggie wary about getting his fate decided for him. 

Not really feeling reassured by his friends, Alex just continued on his anxiety stricken train of thought, “Thanks, Luke, but the universe decided from day one that I am going to ding someone's board and I don’t want to ding _anyone’s_ board, okay? And I don’t even know what kind of board it’s going to be! A skateboard? A surfboard?” 

“Both are cool options!” Reggie had said with a goofy grin, “Though, I place my bet on it being surfer.” 

Luke clicked his tongue before smiling, “No way, it’s for sure a skateboarder, dude.” 

Alex rolled his eyes but started to feel a little better about his soul mark as he watched his two friends start debating on what type of person his future soulmate would be. Luke was adamant about it being a skateboarder just based on vibes and Reggie said that it had to be a surfer because one of his best friends lived near a beach. 

He never really found out if it was either because two years passed since that moment and he hadn’t met his soulmate. At the time, he wasn’t all too worried about it because most people didn’t meet their soulmate until they were older but then he died. So, he wasn’t really sure if he was ever going to fulfill his fate of inflicting damage to some kind of board, but he had greater things to worry about at the moment. He had an entirely new ghostly existence with a bunch of unanswered questions along with it. Like how were people able to see them when they were performing with Julie? Did they have special ghostly powers or something? 

So, here he was wandering the streets trying to clear his mind of the billion questions or at the very least calm down. Well, at least that was what he _was_ doing before he got slammed into by someone riding a skateboard at full speed.

After groaning from the pain of being run over, Alex and the skateboarder got up. The helmeted guy looked at his board with a frown before commenting, “Aw, dude, you dinged my board.” 

Alex, not really processing what the other said, yelled, “Dinged your board?! Dude, you ran me over! You’re luck-” 

He cut himself short as the words the other had said finally kicked in. There was a moment of silence as they both looked at each other, realization settling on their faces before Alex basically yelled, “Wait, it’s _you?!”_

“It’s me?” The other responded, bewildered. 

Alex felt his brain short circuit, “All this time I thought that I was going to accidentally ruin someone's board and I got _run_ over?! My fate was being _run_ over?!” 

The other let out a laugh but shut himself up as he realized that Alex was highly serious, “I’m sorry I smashed into you but I thought you were a lifer so I’d pass right through you.” 

The man took off his helmet, flipping his hair in the process, and Alex felt his heart stop in his chest. His mouth went dry as he looked at the man before him. Long brown hair that looked silky to the touch and a welcoming smile. His soulmate was seriously _hot_. His _soulmate_. There was an awkward pause as Alex tried to process everything that was happening. He had met his soulmate, who was apparently a ghost _and_ a skateboarder, which made Luke, of all people, right in the great soulmate debate. He, however, focused more heavily on the whole ‘hot _ghost_ is my soulmate’ aspect of it all.

Despite all the questions roaming around in his head, he decided to stick with the simplest one, “Wait, uh, lifer?” 

“Uh, yea, that’s what we call people who are living. You haven’t been here long, huh?” 

Alex let out an awkward laugh, “Yea, is it that obvious?” 

“Totally,” he smiles and shrugs, “Plus, I think that if my fate was to pancake you, I would have done it way sooner if you were hanging around Hollywood.”

Alex let out a small laugh before the other man extended his hand, “I’m Willie.” 

“Oh, Alex,” he responded, shaking the man’s hand. When their hands touched, a warmth washed over them, it was gentle but definitely there. Alex had always heard about how it felt when you bonded with your soulmate after meeting them but it was almost magical to actually experience it. 

“Woah,” Willie said, looking at his hand before looking back at Alex, before he decided to keep the conversation going, “Speaking of, why are you in Hollywood?” 

Alex shook himself out of his astonishment to answer, “Um, well, I was having a minor afterlife crisis and was trying to clear my head until, you know, my soulmate tried to crack my head open.” 

Willie let out a boisterous laugh, “I really did pancake you, huh.” 

There was a lull as Willie cleared his throat, after actually taking in all of Alex’s sentence, “Sorry, uh, afterlife crisis?”

“I just keep freaking out, I mean shouldn’t we be in heaven or something?”

“We?”

“Me and my bandmates. We all, uh, died.” 

“Oh, well, that’s tragic, man. Some sort of accident?” 

Alex almost cringed at having to explain his own death, “You could say that. We...ate some bad hot dogs.” 

Instead of laughing like Alex expected, Willie just smiled before saying, “Weirdly enough, that’s how Mozart died.” 

“...that’s weirdly comforting.” 

_Comforting_. That’s how he’d describe Willie. Maybe it was the soulmate bond. Maybe it was how Willie listened to all of Alex’s afterlife questions without any judgement. Maybe it was the soft smile that made him feel like he was going to melt. In any case, the entire time they talked Alex felt, well, safe. Like he could tell Willie his whole life story and wouldn’t regret a thing. That wasn’t usual with him. He was used to feeling on edge, especially with new people, but Willie was like a breath of fresh air. 

When Alex transported back to the studio to where Luke and Reggie were writing a song, he couldn't hide the love sick look on his face. He couldn’t even bring himself to really act annoyed when Luke teased him about just showing up to help them. 

“Hey, man, why are you making that face you make when you watch cheesy romance movies?” Reggie asked, curious. 

Alex snapped out of his dream and frowned, “I don’t make a face.”

“Uh, you totally do, but answer the question, dude. Anything special happened when you were out?” 

Alex sighed, dreamily, “I met another ghost, um, I met my soulmate." 

Luke’s head snapped up from his notebook, “Your _soulmate?_ Dude!” 

Reggie let out something akin to a squeal before shaking Alex's shoulder, “Oh my god, man! Tell us everything. Right now.” 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Luke said, pulling the guitar pick out of his mouth, “Was he a surfer or a skater? This is _vital_ information, bro.” 

“Skateboarder.” 

“Ha! I was fucking right, Reg, I win,” Luke said, victoriously, with a Cheshire grin on his face. 

Reggie’s shoulders sank, “Man, we don’t even need money anymore. How am I supposed to give you twenty dollars?” 

Luke shrugged, shit eating grin still on his face, “I don’t need money, I only need the satisfaction that I won.” 

“You guys made a bet?” Alex asked, confused. 

“Of course we did,” Luke and Reggie said in unison but neither seemed phased by it. 

“That’s...okay,” Alex sighed, not wanting to know, “Do you guys want to hear about him or not?” 

“Yes, yes,” Reggie replied, enthusiasm dripping off him. So, Alex launched into telling them about how he was run over by the cutest skateboarder in the world. Luke and Reggie tried to hide their laughter over the fact that Alex’s meet-cute moment was being run over but, honestly, Alex didn’t even mind anymore. It led to Willie and that made it worth it in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! Thank you so much for reading. If you'd like to interact with me more check out my JATP tumblr: @threeghosts-nobraincells


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 takes place episode 4 (I Got the Music). 
> 
> Kudos and comments make my day!

Alex didn’t know how he was pulled along to this museum hang out (date?) but what he did know is that Willie kept holding his hand. Before they entered, Willie grabbed his hand and the warmth followed it, the connection between their two souls evident. It was like a string of light winded itself through the two of them whenever they connected hands. It felt like safety, like comfort. And when he held his hand to show him how to move the bench, it made him feel stronger, like he could do anything as long as Willie was holding his hand. It was almost bizarre to Alex that he felt this connected with someone he had only known for such a short while. 

And when Willie had pulled Alex up and they screamed together in that empty museum, well, it was one of the only times Alex felt truly alive after death. There was something electric about the moment, like lightning was under his skin. He wondered if that’s how being with your soulmate felt or if it would be the same even if they weren’t. If Willie would have always set him aflame. 

Willie moved so that he was closer to Alex on the bench, “So, tell me one fun fact about yourself. I’ll start, I’ve broken almost every limb.” 

“That’s funny, you’re funny,” Alex laughed, before he took in Willie’s confused look, “...okay, you’re not joking. How did you even manage that?” 

“Well, lots of it was skating but one time I fell while trying to mattress surf. Another from falling after I jumped a fence wrong,” he thought hard, “Oh, and that time I tried riding a shopping cart down a hill and it flipped.” 

“You...okay,” Alex said, knowing that questioning it would only make it worse. 

“Your turn,” Willie smiled, bumping his shoulder against Alex. 

“...uh, I don't really know what to say. I'm not very...cool.” 

Willie shook his head, "What are you even saying, man, of course you're cool. You're a drummer in a rock band. Basically one of the coolest jobs."

Alex let out a surprised laugh as he felt a blush wash over his cheeks, "Yea, yea, sure, whatever you say." 

After there was a few seconds of comfortable silence, Willie said, "Well, if you can't think of anything, let me ask you a question." 

"Sure, go ahead." 

"What's in the fanny pack?" 

"Oh," Alex let out a nervous laugh, "It's kind of lame but my inhaler and my EpiPen. Asthma and a bad nut allergy back when I was alive." 

Willie nodded but Alex felt compelled to keep explaining, "I know I don't really need them but I just had them all the time when I was alive...it's weird to go without them." 

"No, I totally understand," he took his helmet and placed it on Alex's head before knocking on it, "Don't really need this to skateboard anymore, do I?" 

"Oh," Alex barely said, taking in the fact that perhaps he and Willie were more similar than he thought. There was something comforting about that fact. He liked Willie a lot anyways but being able to relate to him was nice. 

"You look cute with the helmet. Maybe, you should go skating with me sometime," Willie commented, something close to adoration in his eyes. 

Alex felt breathless, "Yea, yea, maybe I should."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my fic! Check out my tumblr: @threeghosts-nobraincells


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a more major time skip this chapter!! So chapter 3 takes place after HGC and Caleb marking them so this takes place around episode 7 (Finally Free). 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments make my day B)

He doesn't know what he did to get Willie to ignore him like this. Maybe, it was the dancing he did in the club but he thought their bond was deeper than that. 

He thought that how Willie's eyes shone when he told him that there were things worth staying in the afterlife had meant something. He thought that they had _something_.

So, when Willie kept showing up just to skate away from him? Well, Alex was tired of chasing after someone who didn't want to be caught. Willie had been running from him ever since they visited the Hollywood Ghost Club. He was tired of only seeing glimpses of the helmet and brown hair of his _soulmate._

That's why he transported in front of Willie before he could leave the driveway in front of the garage. 

“What’s your problem? It’s like you’ve been tracking me down just to run away.” 

“I can’t,” Willie placed his skateboard on the ground, “I wish I could explain, man, but I can’t.” 

“That’s not good enough. You’ve been acting weird since Caleb’s club and...and I thought that this whole soulmate thing...meant something to you. It meant something to me." 

Willie took in a breath like his next words were painful to even think, “The universe was wrong...we never should have met.” 

It almost felt like someone had punched Alex straight in the gut, "...wow, that hurts." 

He put on the helmet that he didn't really need, not making eye contact, "I'm sorry." 

And he transported out, leaving Alex standing there, staring at the ground with a hole like feeling in his chest. He felt like an idiot, really. Idiotic for thinking that the universe was ever in his corner, that love would be something he ever deserved. He touched his collar bone, the words aching underneath his fingertips. Those stupid words. 

When he walked back into the studio and wailed on his drums, he thought of how Willie had held his hand or how the words inked onto his skin will never fade. 

And it _hurt._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My JATP tumblr: @threeghosts-nobraincells


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 takes place during episode 7 (Edge of Great) and 8 (Unsaid Emily)! Note that hearts break up different scenes :)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated <3.

The jolts were getting worse. ‘Similar to the pain before death’ worse and none of them knew what was going on. After getting a bad jolt while they were trying to play basketball, Willie appeared out of nowhere. 

As Willie explained what the jolts were and how they were in imminent danger, Alex couldn’t help but feel angry. Partly about the situation they were in and partly at Willie for what happened earlier. For saying what he said and running. For leaving him feeling empty. 

“Why should we listen to a word you say?” Alex snapped in his hurt. 

Willie paused, dejection filling his eyes, “Because I care about you, Alex, and I hate that I brought you and your friends into this mess.” 

“I can’t be away much longer but I’m so sorry,” Alex softened at Willie’s words and his anger replaced with a soft ache instead, “For everything.” 

Before Alex could say anything, Willie transported away. He was once again left with an ache, a longing for something that seemed like it could never be. 

\---<3---

Alex sat in the Orpheum, reflecting on his last performance when he was alive, as he stared at the stage. He remembered the heat on his skin, the thrill and the adrenaline from being on the stage. They had put in so much work into getting there but it was thrown away in one, overshadowing moment. He heard a whoosh but didn’t have to look over to know it was Willie. 

“Is this seat taken?” 

There was a few seconds of silence before Alex solemnly commented, “This whole thing sucks.” 

“I’ve been like the worst soulmate ever, messing up this bad,” Willie said, looking at his sneakers rather than Alex. 

“No, you couldn’t have done anything to stop him. He owns your soul, man.” 

“No, I know what he can do, Alex. I mean, it feels like a part of me is dying and it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t introduced you to Caleb, none of this would be happening. You would have been better off without me as a soulmate. I should’ve skated off before you could even say anything to me.” 

“I would have found you even if you did,” Alex took Willie’s hand tentatively, “The universe wanted me to find you.” 

The familiar string of warmth laced itself around them and Willie almost started crying at the sensation. It hurt even more when Alex let out a pained grunt from one of the jolts. 

Willie could barely take it, his words breaking, “I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” Alex whispered, a slight pained tone in his voice, as he rubbed comforting circles on Willie’s hand. 

“Did you figure out what your unfinished business is?” 

“Yea...playing here was the last thing we had to do together.” 

They both looked at the stage in a solemn silence, as the idea of their future settled in their bones. Alex would cross over, hopefully, and Willie would stay here under Caleb’s mark. It wasn’t the happy ending that either of them hoped for and, yet, it was the best ending they could get. 

“I’ll miss you, you know, when you...when you cross over,” Willie tentatively said. 

Alex smiled softly at that as he squeezed Willie’s hand, “I’ll miss you too. More than you could know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out my tumblr: @threeghosts-nobraincells


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 takes place during episode nine (Stand Tall)! Note that hearts break up different scenes. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated.

Willie knew that from most perspectives that what he was doing was stupid and reckless. He knew that helping Alex and his friends would put his life in danger but honestly? He could give less of a damn as he drove a tour bus into the middle of the desert. If risking his life meant that Alex could escape his fate of perpetually performing at a ghost club then so be it. Plus, he never had an aversion for risk taking and if it was for love? Well, that just made it better. 

When he teleported to the front of the Orpheum to see the three band members hunched over in pain, guilt filled his system, but he quickly pushed it down in favor of telling them that he did his part of the plan. 

“Willie,” Alex said, pulling him aside, “I know how much you’re risking.” 

“It’s nothing if it’s for you,” Willie smiled, softly, “I’d do anything for you.” 

Alex searched Willie’s face, finding everything in Willie’s eyes and it hurt that he had to leave it, him all behind. In a surge of emotions, he pulled Willie into a hug, wanting to hold him close if this was the last time he would ever see him. They were wrapped up in warmth, electricity and the stars. It was overwhelming but Alex never wanted to let go. He wishes he could stay here forever, in this moment, with the universe in his arms. 

“I’ll miss you,” Alex whispers against Willie’s shoulder before pulling away, “You should go before Caleb finds out.” 

“I’ll see you around. Our souls are connected after all, hotdog.” Willie skated away with those words and Alex watched him. Somehow it didn’t feel like the end even though it should have. Something about how Willie said his goodbye made Alex believe him. He didn’t know how or when but he would find Willie again somehow. It was written in the stars or, he supposed, their skin. 

\---<3---

Willie should have known something was up when Caleb seemed to be even more egotistical today or how he kept giving him knowing looks during rehearsal. After sending away the other club members, Caleb called Willie over and that’s how he knew he was screwed.

“Hey, Caleb, I know my dancing wasn’t that great today bu-” 

“William. I understand why you did what you did, I truly do. You wanted to help your soulmate but you have to remember what you signed up for and a part of that is listening to my orders. I told you to not see Alex.”

Willie felt a surge of bravery mixed with heated resentment, “I don’t regret what I did. Not for a second. He’s going to cross over and not be stuck in this horrible, horrible place, Caleb.” 

Caleb sighed, looking at his nails, “I’m sorry you feel that way but, what you fail to see, William, is that he won’t be crossing over if I have any say in it.. He’ll be performing here tonight with the rest of his silly friends instead of the Orpheum.” 

Willie didn’t want to believe Caleb as he let out shaky words “No. You’re lying. You’re _lying_ to me.”

“Afraid not. I even have their suits picked out and everything,” Caleb smirked, “Now, I have to go transport a boy band to the main stage in a few minutes, but I can’t have you getting in the way, William. Have a fun time being locked in a room for the night.” 

Before he could even blink, Willie was in one of the hotel rooms. He tried teleporting out several times with no avail and the door was indeed locked as Caleb said. The windows were sealed and there wasn’t any furniture he could use to break it. Just a bed and no way out. 

“Fuck, no, no, please,” Willie said during another desperate attempt to open the door. 

After another attempt of kicking, Willie let out a yell before sliding down to the floor. He put his face into his hands and let the tears flow freely, a sense of hopelessness fully sinking in. 

He pulled his jacket off so that he could see the last thing that reminded him of Alex, of pink hoodies and of hands pulling anxiously onto a fanny pack with a useless inhaler in it. The delicate writing wrapped around his wrist felt like it was burning into his skin. He couldn't look at it for very long so he hugged the jacket, sobbing into it. 

“I’m sorry, Alex, I’m so, so sorry.” 

After a few minutes of crying, Willie laid on the bed that Caleb so kindly provided and imagined the fruits of his mistakes. He could see Caleb using him as a bargaining chip to convince them to join the club. 

_“Everything you could possibly want is here. Soul bonds are a very special thing, Alex, and I would hate to have to waste it for no reason.”_

And he could see the boys refusing, their spark draining with every jolt. Maybe that Julie girl begging them to say yes to Caleb's offer. 

_“You have to save yourselves right now. Go join Caleb’s club. Please.”_

And just as he started to imagine Alex fading from existence, there was a tingling sensation from his wrist that distracted him from his spiraling. He looked at it with bleary eyes and the words on his wrist were _glowing._ He sat up, looking at the glowing words with furrowed brows, before he noticed something else. A deep purple emerged from his skin, _Caleb’s mark_ , and fluttered off into the air like it had never existed. The glowing dimmed until it eventually faded, leaving the usual black markings on his skin. 

He stared at his wrist in disbelief before he started laughing, indescribably happy. He didn’t know how it happened but he had a feeling that Caleb had _lost_. That Alex was still here, that he still existed. He felt stronger, somehow, and he felt free. God, he was _free_. 

With the new found feeling of freedom, Willie tried transporting out of the room and this time it worked (it worked!). He had to find Alex or at the very least find out what happened to him. So, he went to the first place he could think of. The studio. 

When he arrived and peaked through the window, he saw Alex. He was glowing, laughing and jumping as he hugged his band mates. Willie just about lost it then and there. He had never felt this happy in his life. 

Willie yanked open the door, tears brimming in his eyes, “How are you here? Are you really here?” 

Alex saw him, a look of astonishment on his face, before he ran over, “I don’t know. Something happened after Julie hugged us and...and then the marks were gone. How are _you_ here, Willie?” 

“We’re...we’re connected. I think when Julie set you free...it set me free too.” 

“Are you serious?” Alex asked, both of them openly crying, smiles still lining their lips. When Willie nodded, Alex pulled him into a desperate hug, like he was searching for security in the touch. When they finally pulled away from the hug, they looked at each other. Willie couldn’t stand just hugging Alex or holding his hand anymore. Not after he thought he’d lost him to oblivion. So, he closed the gap between them, not caring for the consequences anymore. 

The kiss wasn’t really beautiful, it tasted of salty tears and it was sloppy, but none of that mattered. They had each other, souls connected with a string of light. They set each other aflame and that’s the only thing that mattered. When they pulled from the kiss, Alex snuggled his face into Willie’s shoulder, wanting to keep him close. 

“Told you I’d see you again, hotdog,” Willie gently said. 

Alex laughed into his shoulder and Willie swore that he saw the stars align with that laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading till the end of my silly little fic. I really, really appreciate you. Have a wonderful day, kind reader. 
> 
> Check out my tumblr blog: @threeghosts-nobraincells


End file.
